The Ten Sephirot

I have received some requests to explain what the term “Sephirot” means. So this posting will work as a reference for future postings regarding this term.

In short, in Kabalistic thinking, God created the heavens and earth from another dimension known as “Ein Sof.” And He did this either:

ONE: By pulling back his non-diluted power and light in three (actually four) differing degrees, what remained created the three degrees of glory.

Or

TWO: God inserted the Sephirot that created the three degrees of glory, carrying with them all the laws that exist. Either way, it’s the same thing.

Sephirot just means numbers or counting. This term originates from The Book of Creation (Sefer Yetzirah) and is one of the two primal components of creation (along with the 22 letters of creation).


They are thought of as existing as stages (veils, doors, levels, or degrees) on the Tree of Life (as spheres). Or, as rounds on Jacob’s Ladder. They are the wheels that Ezekiel saw.

The Sephirot represent the laws, powers or influences of God. Understanding them helps us understand how God’s powers influence us. For example, Gevurah (Justice) is on one side of the tree, and Hesed (Mercy) on the other. Between them balancing them is Tiferet (Beauty – reconciliation - Christ). This situation is what Alma was speaking about.

The Sephirot can be thought of as the leaves or the fruit of the tree of life.

Here is a Wikipedia link for the ten Sephirot.

It is “Sefirah” in the singular. Other spellings include Sephiroth and Sefiroth.

Happy Climbing!